MRSG ‘disappointed’ that solutions are ignored
The organisation representing community and farming interests across the NSW Murray region has expressed ‘disappointment’ at the Albanese Government’s push to reintroduce water buybacks. The Murray Regional Strategy Group (MRSG) has worked tirelessly on solutions that would help deliver environmental water without sacrificing food production.
Locked out!
Community members, farmers, industry representatives and journalists have been locked out of the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water (DCCEEW) Bridging the Gap water buyback consultation meetings in Deniliquin ... The Federal Government and their bureaucracy’s contempt for southern NSW and northern Victoria communities has no sign of slowing down, even a meeting over a community good, like water, is essentially invite only.
Farm incomes to ease as prices drop, inputs rise: ABARES
Farm cash income for all broadacre farms is projected to decrease nationally by around 7 per cent to average $327,000 per farm in 2022–23 but remain 46% above the 10-year average ... “However, farm incomes are projected to fall slightly in 2022–23 because of lower prices for most commodities and input costs remaining high after significant increases in 2021–22": Head of Farm Performance at ABARES, Peter Gooday.
One of the southern Basin’s wettest years delivers strong water availability: MDBA
The southern Murray–Darling Basin tracked some of its highest rainfall and inflow totals on record in the tail end of 2022, according to the MDBA's update to the 2022-23 Annual Operating Outlook. The update details how the Murray–Darling Basin Authority may run the River Murray under a range of possible climate and rainfall scenarios, to help water users and river managers with future planning.
Jobs and Skills Summit fails to ease Australia’s cost-of-living crisis: Littleproud
Six months after the Jobs and Skills Summit, Labor has only delivered a fraction of the 172,000 workers that farmers need to keep food prices down, fuelling a cost-of-living crisis. Leader of The Nationals David Littleproud said Agriculture Minister Murray Watt hadn’t delivered any tangible results on the Summit’s Agricultural Workforce Working Group, placing further pressure on food production and the cost of groceries at the check-out.
Concern over lack of consultation on superannuation tax increase: TFGA
The Tasmanian Farmers and Graziers (TFGA) oppose Treasurer Jim Chalmers proposed increase on the superannuation tax rate to collect an additional $2 billion annually from hardworking Australians and farmers ... CEO of the TFGA, Hugh Christie, said this policy decision to effectively double the tax rate for every hardworking Australian from 15 per cent to 30 per cent would be devastating for future investments into farming.
Statement on Independent Panel on live sheep export: NFF
The National Farmers’ Federation notes the Minster’s announcement that an Independent Panel will be established to advise on the proposed phase out of live sheep export. The NFF stands with 24 other peak agricultural bodies and farmers across Australia in opposing the ban on live sheep export, and does not support any process which aims to phase out the trade.
Water wars continue
It’s said “when you’re a hammer, everything is a nail,” and the blunt political instrument of the Murray-Darling Basin Plan is a jumbo hammer that swings with the force of the political party who wields it at the time ... Neglecting private environment and ecosystem function holds a certain irony as the plan has been for the environment with no consideration for the social and economic aspects of Australians who live and work within the basin.
Durack MHR says detail on the Voice to Parliament necessary
Melissa Price. Support for an enshrined Voice in the Constitution is not a left or right-wing political issue. Although the Liberal Party is often painted by the left, unfairly so, as a party which doesn’t care about Indigenous issues, the record of history tells a different story.
Koala conservation in Queensland – interview with Australian Wildlife Conservancy
Australia Rural & Regional News asks some questions about AWC's koala conservation projects and koala monitoring, and land and fire management of Andrew Howe, Australian Wildlife Conservancy Senior Field Ecologist and Peter Stanton, Australian Wildlife Conservancy Senior Ecologist.
Federal grant to fund koala conservation in Queensland: AWC
Australian Wildlife Conservancy (AWC) has secured $179,211 in new federal funding to assist in a three-part Koala conservation project at Curramore and Mount Zero-Taravale Wildlife Sanctuaries in Queensland ... Tim White, AWC Chief Operations Officer, welcomed the grant, saying it will help improve habitat, data and knowledge on Koala populations at both sanctuaries.
Bank body silent on disabled access breach of its Code
Today we learned three things: the Banking Code of Practice isn’t worth the paper it is written on, the format for emailing Westpac executives directly and that Anna Bligh’s Australian Banking Association will only engage with journalists who give them an easy run.
Bridging the Gap under the Murray-Darling Basin Plan: Plibersek
The Government is beginning the process to buy water to Bridge the Gap under the Murray–Darling Basin Plan. These water purchases are voluntary. This water purchase is only for the remaining 49GL of the Bridging the Gap target. ‘Bridging the Gap’ is the largest pool of water to be recovered under the Murray-Darling Basin Plan – a total of 2,075GL. Around 49GL remains to be recovered: Tanya Plibersek.
Economic Contribution Study of the NSW hardwood timber industry
The North East NSW Forestry Hub has posted a report prepared by Ernst & Young into the economic significance of the NSW hardwood industry to the NSW and Commonwealth economies ... the report shows the critical importance of the industry to the Northern NSW economy, contributing $1.8 billion in revenue, adding $700 million to NSW GDP and employing 5,700 people in the region.
Statement on water buybacks: NFF
Reports are that these buybacks will not be used to progress the 450GL or 605GL recovery targets. However, it’s important this proposal doesn’t become a stalking horse to open up broader buybacks. We need open consultation and transparency in decision making and we’re looking to Minister Plibersek to lead that approach. We have recently written to water ministers seeking openness and transparency – both from the Ministerial Council and their advisory body the Basin Officials Committee: Malcolm Holm, NFF.
Water buyback plan ignores evidence and farming communities: VFF
The Victorian Farmers Federation (VFF) says the Albanese Government’s plan to buyback water under the Murray-Darling Basin Plan ignores all evidence of the devastation farming communities will be forced to endure. VFF Water Council Chair Andrew Leahy said the announcement by Federal Water Minister Tanya Plibersek to buyback water continued to ignore the concerns of farmers about the reduction in the amount of water available to produce food.
Native forestry set for the chop
Under the direction of Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews, native forestry throughout the state of Victoria is set to be banned by 2030. The move has alarmed rural communities right across Victoria as the regenerative, carbon sequestering resource is not only a sustainable natural product, but provides significant employment, bushfire prevention and a boost to the economy.
Westpac delay welcomed
Patricia Gill. Denmark’s Westpac Bank is among eight regional Westpac banks Australia-wide whose closure has been postponed ... The closure of Westpac would leave the town with one bank operating, BankWest. Denmark’s NAB branch closed on February 9 after scaled-back opening hours and the bank citing a ‘new model’ affecting 114 small regional Australian branches.
Open letter to Albo: Apparently you have the power to pause bank closures
Just five months ago, a petition calling for an immediate moratorium on regional bank closures was signed off on by your government, published and subsequently received 5000 signatures. Yesterday, in defiance of a direct request by a senate committee investigating the economic and welfare impacts of regional bank closures to pause all planned closures while the inquiry was in progress, Westpac shut the last banks in the South Australian towns of Coober Pedy and Tailem Bend.
Prime Minister must show leadership on regional WA’s crime crisis: Littleproud
Leader of The Nationals David Littleproud is calling for Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to urgently visit the Western Australian town of Carnarvon while he is in the state this week. Mr Littleproud said the Prime Minister should spend a night in Carnarvon, rather than holding a $1,500 a head fundraiser in Perth to appreciate what’s needed in this community and others across regional WA.
SA Liberals need to get onboard Team SA on Murray-Darling Basin Plan: Close
The SA Liberals misguided opposition to voluntary water buybacks risks undermining South Australia’s position ahead of Friday’s Murray–Darling Basin Ministerial Council meeting. A united South Australian position is crucial when dealing with the unwillingness of the NSW and Victorian governments to deliver the 450 gigalitres promised when the Murray-Darling Basin Plan was agreed to: Susan Close, SA Deputy Premier, Minister for Climate, Environment and Water (SA).
New alliance calls for emergency funding for rural roads: ALRTA
The newly-formed Rural Road Alliance is calling for an emergency funding package totalling nearly $5.5 billion in the upcoming Federal Budget. The alliance ... been formed in response to the critical challenges facing Australia’s rural road network in the wake of recent flooding and high rainfall.
